Ron Paul is NOT coming to MI!

[fmontez]

We just had a rally in Hudsonville, MI for Ron Paul. The local GOP had held a dinner fund raiser. The treasurer of the Ottowa Co. GOP stopped and talked to us and asked us if we were going to be going to the 60.00/per person dinner. Since the money was for the GOP and not just Ron Paul we told him we politely declined. He said that Ron Paul was invited but that they did not hear back from him.
We are still placing signs and canvassing our precincts. We are talking the talk and walking the walk and will continue to do so.
Hey Doc, we sure could use a "house call". We need a shot in the arm.
We will persevere and march on regardless, but it sure would be nice to see "da man" and oh yeah, at least one tv commercial would have helped immensely. People in Michigan, that do know of him, think he is not running anymore, because they do not see any ads for him, like they are used to politicians doing running for office
PP

I am so frustrated now!

 

[Thrashertm]

oh yeah

Those of you that are in Michigan, are you seeing any ads or hearing them on the radio?

I heard an RP ad on 760 WJR during Hannity's show if you can believe it.

 

[specsaregood]

Concentrating on Nevada is interesting. He definitely has more support in these libertarian states.

Also: I heard an interview with a GOP official. HE said that 99% of NV caucus goers will be FIRST TIME caucusers since they have not had a "meaningful" caucus since '88. THe way the guy described it, it was as if nobody in the state GOP even knew how it was supposed to work.

Definitely sounded like an active minority could pull the upset.

 

[WRellim]

Perhaps the saddest thing about this camapaign is we had people who willingly who oozed out every ounce of sweat and blood for the candidate but it was not paid back by the candidate himself.

You can't run a part-time campaign. You can't run a camapaign around your House schedule while other members of Congress have no problems missing votes. You raise $20 mil and then say you don't have enough for Michigan? You can't pass up a state that has an open primary and strong pockets of support for you. Why run the radio ads and do direct mailing and phone calls then? To place fourth?

I appreciate Dr. Paul making a run for the White House because he did not have to but its obvious he doesn't have the stamina for this. We laugh at Fred Thompson for being lazy yet he endured a bus tour of Iowa that did well enough to put him in third place and kept his campaign while our candidate was back at home over New Years. Hell, Duncan Hunter is traversing up and down Michigan, why can't Ron Paul?

Again I hate to say all this, but sadly its true. I feel bad for the meetups in Michigan who are working hard to spread the message. But like Iowa and New Hampshire, Michiganders are not going to vote for a ghost.

We have to look ahead towards the future. Hoepfully there's someone out there will to take on the burdens of the campaigning, can articulate the message and doesn't come with any past baggage. It may take a while but I still hope. Ron Paul is a beginning, not an end.

Sadly, I think this pretty much how it is.

From everything I can see, ALL they are doing at present is sitting on the sidelines, conserving the major cash, and letting the other candidates battle it out, run out of cash, try to establish momentum, etc. -- and being prepared for some "unexpected" opportunity (stock market crash, Lead candidate scandal, whatever -- THAT, and not some genius political strategy, is what saved his 96 Congressional campaign.)

But, other than in the variety of (admittedly "inspired") but self-delusional fan-boy dreams -- unless you consider a "brilliant strategy" to be spending the majority of $20M on a "Hail Mary" nationwide media TV advertising blitz (Ross Perot style -- lets hope w/o the pie charts) during the few days or perhaps entire week prior to February 5th -- well, other than that, there almost certainly is no super-secret, brilliant, master strategy "plan" at all...

Oh, hopefully there will be some new ads that will be at least slightly better quality than the recent set -- possibly whatever they worked up in California a while back (which I am hoping did NOT end up being that special they aired in Iowa).

And, beyond that, they'll use some of it for traveling expenses (I'm certain Kent & Lew will need to visit that all-important Hawaii campaign office at least once more) -- plus the relatively minor expenses associated with the supplying the "slim-jims" and signs & such to the existing state offices and the "halfway-serious" precinct captain program.

And...


...and that is basically it.

Sorry Rocky, but I'm pretty sure there is no magic rabbit in the hat, either.

Truth is, we've been pretty much "had" by our own imaginations -- and they were dashed by a "loyal" but also completely incompetent campaign staff... who never ever expected to get this far (haven't they said so repeatedly?), and never had a clue how to actually run a national campaign, or how to get real ads done, or how to spend large amounts of money (hasn't the candidate admitted that publicly several times over?) and make it count for something in a nationwide campaign.

I feel the campaign pretty much blatantly conceded the whole effort as lost in talking about coming in a "solid fourth" and asking for "suggestions" -- months too late and $20M short -- in the recent "Onward" email that was sent out (as if it was written by Ron, but I am fairly certain that it wasn't: writing style is too different and illogical, and references were all wrong; the letter was written by committee).

So, in a few weeks it will simply be "So long and thanks for all the fish."

(Hey, it depresses me and REALLY ticks me off, too... trust me, I have more invested in this than most, in time, effort, AND resources. But fighting to the end, and denying reality are two different things!)

 

[driller80545]

Ron Paul certainly doesn't seem to be matching the grassroots' effort anywhere.

 

[heath.whiteaker]

wow if Michigan is getting passed up.... I wonder what will happen in Florida. We moved our Primary up as well.

 

[fmontez]

Its time for Dr. Paul to hire a new Manager and staff, there is still time. No more 4th or 3rd place goals... you don't set your vision to be number 3!!! From now on it's #1 and nothing else!!!!!!!!

 

[The Chef]

I don't know quite what to say to you guys...

You all scare at the sight of a potential problem, you freaked out in Iowa, Your freaked out in NH, You are freaking out now. What kind of supporters are you?

I have been lurking around the forums for some months now, following the grass roots, following the campaign, canvassing, talking to people, and all I ever hear from this forum is negativity about how we're all gonna lose. You sound like the world is ending...

This isn't going to change over night guys. It's not like Ron Paul getting president is going to suddenly change everything all at once you know...this is an ongoing process. It's a fucking revolution. We are the lucky few who have stirred out of our slumber and have seen our government for what it is, and we are doing something about it.

Backing Ron Paul is the greatest thing we can do as American citizens to show the establishment that we mean business....But it only begins here. You still have to work harder. wake more people up, talk to more people. Elect people to government who share the same views.

How about instead of sitting here bitching, you get out there and talk to people. Stop being fair weather fans and support the man, no matter what he does.

 

[walt]

Target young democrats with a simple ad in papers telling them if they want to end the war immediately and not pay any more income tax to vote for Dr. Paul. Tell them a vote for a democratic candidate is wasted because they will not get delegates. Dr. Paul will get delegates if they vote for him.

I don't really understand what is going on there, but seems to me it is a waste to vote Democratic if it's not going to mean anything. Do I understand this correctly?

I think you should contact the leaders of the local democratic campaigns and college democrats and engage them in a discussion of Dr. Paul's meesage and then ask them to communicate to their members - best leverage with the short time left.

 

[kyleAF]

Yeah, there's been a lot of radio ads. Unfortunately almost all of them are about NAFTA and a "international superhighway", hard to believe with possibly the worst economy in the country that they'd air these.

Ron Paul's best chances are the northwestern states going by donor maps.

He's building our base up continuously. And by "our" I mean those of us who are concerned about such things... or those of us who think strategically.

It's the grassroots that are carrying these early states to victory. (Yes, victory: we're getting ourselves known to the general populace).

And someone said it: he should be in Nevada. I like MI and all (I was born in Detroit and have family there), but Nevada is less competitive.

He's letting the GOP divide itself, all the while hitting the GOP party-liners with attrition...and an eventual bomb.

Let's keep doing our part! Donate NOW to keep his coffers strong for when it matters.

Then donate again for the media effect with the MLK money-bomb.

Oh, and don't forget to win over REAL votes. If you haven't won real converts, then you'd best get started, and fast.

 

[fmontez]

Forget targeting Dems, lets get the Republicans on board. RP is not a liberal, his ideas are not liberal, he is the best conservative on the ballot. RP needs new staff, and a new vision, he needs show that Rudy, Mitt, Huckabee, Fred, and John are liberals, show his rivals to be unelectable, he needs to make it clear that Ron Paul is the only real candidate and the only person who CAN and SHOULD be President!

 

[WRellim]

Forget targeting Dems, lets get the Republicans on board. RP is not a liberal, his ideas are not liberal, he is the best conservative on the ballot. RP needs new staff, and a new vision, he needs show that Rudy, Mitt, Huckabee, Fred, and John are liberals, show his rivals to be unelectable, he needs to make it clear that Ron Paul is the only real candidate and the only person who CAN and SHOULD be President!

Actually, this is mainly what the campaign HAS been doing, and one of the major reasons why it has been failing.

Modern "Republicans" are basically all RINO's -- they care mainly about being loyal to their PAST choices (i.e. GWB) and their PAST policies (Iraq, NCLB, BushTaxCuts, etc) and staying in "power" and "office" (mainly as a way of staying attached to THEIR government cash flows).

What they do NOT care about is being a party of principles, about saving the Republic, or anything of the kind. Those few in the the party who DO care, are at most playing a game of continual "defense" & "concession" with the Democrats and the statist-Republicans.

Sadly the party itself is dying from within, from attrition, and from literally Old Age -- but they basically refuse to see this and/or admit it; there are a small number of young members who are taking the opportunity to sieze the "positions" of power, but they have no colleagues and are not bringing anyone new into the party (mainly because they and the party have nothing to offer).

THE PROBLEM is that the official campaign has been running as if ALL states are "closed" primaries and they are canvassing and going after the "likely voters" and mainly emphasizing the Republicans (with some short shrift being made to trying to win "Independants") -- and are completely ignoring the fact that 3/4 of the grassroots are made up of basically formerly "apathetic" voters, and that there is a LARGE and UNTAPPED pool of those out there across the entire nation.

 

[romeshomey]

Remember, Ron Paul already went to Michigan once when none of the other candidates but Huckabee went.

Doesn't seem like any of them really care about Michigan.

 

[Schlickenmeyer]

Well I talked to some folks who did major work in IA, and the best results were from non GOP. We should not ignore ANYONE in spreading the word.
Nor should we lose hope at all.
See this as a chance to prove that it BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE!!
No major money or numerous visits and a good percent, and we can prove
that it is the message, not the man.
As much as I love this guy, remember it is not about him. It is about us and our future.
And nothing can stop us, except us.

Viva Revolution!!

 

[NeoRayden]

It is sad to say but maybe, and I tread lightly here but maybe he is running (not to his own knowledge) but to keep voters from turning out for 3rd party races. Since third parties must have a stated percentage in order to stay on the ballot this may be a move by the GOP to use Ron as a pawn to lure away LP and CP members so that the CP does not achieve ballot access and the LP looses it.

I do not want to think that but it seems that by the way it is going and the response I have gotten from the campaign since it began enven though I have known RP for several years is disturbing. I will not give up on the man that I know and love as a fellow freedom fighter but I sincerely hope that he is not being used for this purpose.

 

[seapilot]

Remember, Ron Paul already went to Michigan once when none of the other candidates but Huckabee went.

Doesn't seem like any of them really care about Michigan.

Depending on an appearance from Ron Paul will not win attitudes and voters in Michigan, it is the grassroots at the local level that will. Remember Jefferson County, Iowa? This is how to do it, one county, precinct, district at a time.

Agree it would help that Michigan has a HQ in a couple of major places and donor contact numbers etc. Here in Alaska no one cares about us we are the step child of the USA along with Hawaii. We know how to take care of things ourselves and that is the independent way to do it, self reliance is the heart of libertarianism. We dont have any expectations of Ron Paul visiting us, and would be pleasently surprised if he did so. The USA is huge and unless we clone Ron Paul 30 times we have to work hard on our own.

 

[espot]

A few commercials would be nice.

 

[Peppy690]

i feel a high ron paul turnout and gotv effort will help in Michigan more so than Iowa and NH... I feel those small states had huge turnouts, and Michigan people aren't that serious about it. Especially since Iowa and New Hampshire got blasted with media, michigan isn't covererd wall to wall with media so we have a strong chance with high rp voter turnout

 

[penfold25]

How about Local Newspaper ads someone mentioned earlier, cant we get some donation thing happening on here or somethiing?
Ive heard around the place some of the excellent grassroots effort in MI, so regardless of the outcome we have already won, well done people. (Funnily this election reminds me of the movie 'the matrix', we just need to give out alot of blue pills to people!!!!)

 

[The Minister]

He is campaigning.........




Jan 13
A Meeting with Nye County Republicans
Bob Ruud Community Center, 150 N Highway 160, Pahrump, NV
7:00 - 8:30 PM PT

Jan 14
Campaign Events
Reno, NV
Details to follow shortly

Jan 15
Campaign Events
Las Vegas, NV
Details to follow shortly